By KARL RITTER and SUZAN FRASER (Associated Press)
VILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) — Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday launched a brand new situation for approving Sweden’s membership in NATO, calling on European nations to “open the way” for Turkey to hitch the European Union.
The shock announcement by Erdogan earlier than departing for a NATO summit in Lithuania’s capital added new uncertainty to Sweden’s bid to grow to be the alliance’s thirty second member, which Turkey initially blocked by saying Sweden was too mushy on Kurdish militants and different teams that Ankara considers safety threats.
It was the primary time that Erdogan linked his nation’s ambition to hitch the EU with Sweden’s efforts to grow to be a NATO member.
“Turkey has been waiting at the door of the European Union for over 50 years now, and almost all of the NATO member countries are now members of the European Union,” Erdogan instructed reporters in Istanbul. “I am making this call to these countries that have kept Turkey waiting at the gates of the European Union for more than 50 years.”
“Come and open the way for Turkey’s membership in the European Union. When you pave the way for Turkey, we’ll pave the way for Sweden as we did for Finland,” he added.
Earlier, Erdogan’s workplace mentioned he instructed U.S. President Joe Biden throughout a phone name Sunday that Turkey needed a “clear and strong” message of help for Turkey’s EU ambitions from the NATO leaders. The White House readout of the Biden-Erdogan name didn’t point out the problem of Turkish EU membership.
Erdogan and Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson met later Monday after they arrived in Vilnius, the place NATO leaders will meet over the subsequent two days to debate a bunch of points together with NATO’s future relations with Ukraine. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskky will be a part of them in particular person on Wednesday.
Erdogan was additionally as a consequence of meet EU Council President Charles Michel late Monday.
Asked about Erdogan’s feedback, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg mentioned he helps Turkey’s ambition to hitch the EU however famous that it wasn’t among the many situations listed in an settlement that Sweden, Finland and Turkey signed ultimately yr’s NATO summit in Madrid.
Stoltenberg reiterated that Sweden had met these situations and mentioned he thinks it’s “still possible to have a positive decision” on the nation’s pending membership throughout this summit.
EU Commission spokesperson Dana Spinant mentioned that “you cannot link the two processes in regards to Turkey.”
Turkey is a candidate to hitch the EU, however democratic backsliding throughout Erdogan’s presidency, disputes with EU-member Cyprus and different points have held up the nation’s progress towards admission within the 27-nation bloc.
However, as a member of NATO, Erdogan’s authorities has postponed ratifying Sweden’s accession to the alliance, saying the administration in Stockholm must do extra to crack down on Kurdish militants and different teams. A collection of anti-Turkey and anti-Islam protests in Sweden’s capital raised doubts that an settlement to fulfill Turkey’s calls for could possibly be reached earlier than the NATO summit.
Turkey’s delays on Sweden’s accession have irritated different NATO allies together with the United States. Biden’s nationwide safety adviser, Jake Sullivan, confirmed Sunday that Biden and Erdogan had spoken about Sweden’s NATO membership amongst different points and had agreed to fulfill in Vilnius for additional talks.
Sullivan mentioned the White House is assured Sweden will be a part of the alliance.
“If it happens after Vilnius — we’re confident it will happen,” he mentioned. “We don’t regard this as something that is fundamentally in doubt. This is a matter of timing. The sooner the better.”
Erdogan’s newest feedback surprised seasoned Turkey analysts.
“Erdogan has introduced new demands and moved the target repeatedly throughout this process, but trying to put pressure on the EU over a NATO matter is rather spectacular,” mentioned Paul Levin, director of the Institute for Turkish Studies at Stockholm University.
“However, I think that we should interpret his remarks with caution for now. They could signal everything from setting the stage for a face-saving OK to Sweden, to an attempt to sabotage the NATO enlargement process by raising impossible demands,” Levin added. “What can be said is that if he were to actually condition Swedish NATO accession on a reboot of the Turkish EU accession process, then Sweden is unlikely to become a NATO ally any time soon.”
Before Erdogan’s feedback, Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Billström expressed optimism that Turkey would drop its objections.
“What we are counting on, of course, is to reach a point where we get a message back from President Erdogan that there will be what you might call a green light … a message that the ratification process in the Turkish Parliament can start,” Billström instructed Swedish broadcaster SVT.
He insisted Sweden has fulfilled its a part of the cope with Finland and Turkey, which included lifting arms embargoes on Turkey, tightening anti-terror legal guidelines and stepping up efforts to forestall the actions of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which has waged an insurgency in Turkey because the Nineteen Eighties.
“We should consider it as a settled question in the sense that it is not a question of if. In connection with the NATO summit in Madrid last year, Turkey already gave Sweden status as an invitee to NATO. It is therefore a question of when,” he mentioned.
Billström mentioned he anticipated Hungary, which additionally hasn’t ratified Sweden’s accession, to take action earlier than Turkey.
Previously non-aligned Sweden and Finland utilized for NATO membership final yr following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Finland joined in April following Turkish ratification.
Another key situation in Vilnius will probably be the best way to convey Ukraine nearer to NATO with out really becoming a member of, and safety ensures Kyiv may want to make sure that Russia doesn’t invade once more after the struggle ends. Stoltenberg mentioned a very powerful factor was to proceed to help Ukraine’s efforts to withstand the Russian invasion.
“Unless Ukraine prevails there is no membership issue to discuss at all,” he mentioned.
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Fraser reported from Ankara, Turkey. AP White House reporter Chris Megerian in London contributed to this report.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”